SAW has extended its impressive run at ESL Pro League Season 21, moving to a 2-0 record after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over FURIA. This win follows their strong opening match against HEROIC, where they proved that their newly assembled roster is already capable of taking down top-tier competition.
After reaching the quarter-finals at PGL Cluj-Napoca, the team’s final event with an all-Portuguese lineup, SAW has transitioned smoothly into this new era, with Oscar “AZUWU” Bell and Jan “cej0t” Dyl proving to be valuable additions. Despite the roster overhaul, SAW has maintained its momentum, showing no signs of slowing down.
With this result, SAW joins another unexpected contender in the 2-0 bracket, as TYLOO also remains undefeated, thanks to a standout performance from Yi “JamYoung” Yang, who helped his team secure victories over 3DMAX and Eternal Fire.
FURIA’s Only Dominant Moment Came on Dust2
FURIA had little to celebrate in this series, but their performance on Dust2, their own map pick, was a rare highlight. The Brazilian squad displayed a commanding defense, building a 9-3 lead in the first half, and needed little effort to close out the map 13-3.
All five FURIA players contributed to this one-sided victory, but Felipe “skullz” Medeiros was the standout performer, delivering a 2.09 rating with an exceptional 20-5 K/D and 124.5 ADR, leading the charge in their only convincing win of the series.
SAW Secures the Series with Strong T-Sides
Unlike FURIA’s standout individual performances, SAW relied on team-based execution rather than a single player dominating the match. Their ability to coordinate well on offense helped them claim both Anubis and Inferno, sealing their place in the 2-0 pool.
On Anubis, SAW found itself in a back-and-forth battle in the first half, but as FURIA pulled ahead to an 11-7 lead, the international roster responded in the late game, stringing together six consecutive T-side rounds to secure a 13-11 victory on their map pick.
The momentum carried into Inferno, where SAW built an 8-4 lead on defense before switching sides. Even when they struggled to convert rounds on offense, Christopher “MUTiRiS” Fernandes’ team consistently applied economic pressure on FURIA, ensuring that their opponents remained in difficult financial situations. With this tactical advantage, SAW controlled the later stages of the match, closing out Inferno 13-9 and securing the series 2-1.
